Reverse gate for a watercraft
View Patent ↗A system and method for constructing a reverse gate for a watercraft is disclosed. The reverse gate is independently rotatable relative to a watercraft and a steering nozzle and includes at least two curved surfaces. The curved surfaces are attached to one another to form an apex that is offset from a midpoint of the reverse gate and the reverse gate is attached to the watercraft so that the apex is also offset from a center axis of a steering nozzle oriented relative thereto. Water discharged from the steering nozzle can be diverged at the apex of the reverse gate to provide lateral and reverse thrust to the watercraft. The reverse gate includes an additional curved section contained within one of the at least two curved sections to provide improved lateral thrust to the watercraft.
1. A reverse gate assembly for a watercraft comprising:
a steering nozzle having a center axis and pivotably attached to a watercraft;
a reverse gate having a first curved section, a second curved section attached to the first curved section, and a third curved section within the first curved section;
a divider extending outwardly from the reversed gate between the first and the second curved sections; and
wherein the divider is offset from the center axis of the steering nozzle.
2. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the first curved section is longer than the second curved section and the divider is an apex.
3. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the divider is offset from a pivot axis of the steering nozzle such that more of a discharge from the steering nozzle is directed onto the first curved section than onto the second curved section when the center axis of the steering nozzle is generally parallel to a center line of the watercraft.
4. The assembly of claim 1 further comprising a stator nozzle located in front of the steering nozzle and having the reverse gate attached thereto.
5. The assembly of claim 1 further comprising a first bracket attached to each of the first and second curved sections and constructed to pivotally attach the reverse gate to the watercraft at a position forward of the steering nozzle.
6. The assembly of claim 1 incorporated into a watercraft having at least two sources of propulsion.
7. A jet propulsion system for a watercraft comprising:
first and second jet-propulsion outlets;
a first and second steering nozzles, each having a center and rotatably attached to a respective one of the first and second jet-propulsion outlets;
a first and second reverse gates, each having a midpoint and an apex, a first, a second, and a third curved sections, and attached to a respective one of the first and second jet-propulsion outlets;
wherein the apex of the first and second reverse gates is offset from the respective midpoint and the center of the respective steering nozzles, and
wherein the third curved section is contained within the first curved section.
8. The system of claim 7 wherein the steering nozzles are rotatable relative to the first and second jet-propulsion outlets and the first and second reverse gates.
9. The system of claim 7 wherein the first and second reverse gates each further comprise a pair of mounting brackets constructed to engage a pivot pin.
10. The system of claim 7 wherein the first and second reverse gates each has a variable vertical position relative to the steering nozzle.
11. The system of claim 7 wherein the first and second reverse gates are substantially mirror images of each other when connected to a watercraft.
12. A method of providing steering control to a watercraft comprising:
providing a reverse gate in a flow from a steering nozzle;
separating the flow across the reverse gate into a first and second flow;
redirecting the first flow in a direction generally opposite to the flow from the steering nozzle when the steering nozzle is generally perpendicular to the reverse gate and redirecting the second flow in a second direction generally perpendicular to the flow from the steering nozzle;
wherein the first flow is greater than the second flow when the steering nozzle is generally perpendicular to the reverse gate; and
providing another reverse gate and another steering nozzle wherein when the steering nozzles are directed substantially to starboard of the watercraft, the flow across the first reverse gate is not separated and the flow across the second reverse gate is separated, and when the steering nozzles are directed substantially to port of the watercraft the flow across the first reverse is separated and the flow across the second reverse sate is not separated.
13. The method of claim 12 further comprising varying the first and second flows in an inverse proportional relationship depending on a position of the steering nozzle relative to the reverse gate.
14. A method of providing steering control to a watercraft comprising:
providing a reverse gate in a flow from a steering nozzle;
separating the flow across the reverse gate into a first and second flow;
redirecting the first flow in a direction generally opposite to the flow from the steering nozzle when the steering nozzle is generally perpendicular to the reverse gate and redirecting the second flow in a second direction generally perpendicular to the flow from the steering nozzle;
wherein the first flow is greater than the second flow when the steering nozzle is generally perpendicular to the reverse gate, and
wherein the step of redirecting the first flow generates a lateral component and a reverse component and the step of redirecting the second flow generates primarily a lateral component.
15. The method of claim 14 further comprising varying the first and second flows in an inverse proportional relationship depending on a position of the steering nozzle relative to the reverse gate.
16. The method of claim 14 further comprising providing a second reverse gate having a generally mirror image of the first reverse gate.